Countdown to the Oscars

With all of the controversy surrounding this year's Academy Award nominations, let's get real. We love to watch. It's an innate guilty pleasure. Stars strutting their stuff, directors squirming and the occasional faux pas draw us into the celebration of films and those who make them count. The envelopes, please ...

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette “Boyhood”
Laura Dern “Wild”
Keira Knightley “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone “Birdman”
Meryl Streep “Into the Woods”

Having been a hardcore fan of Patricia Arquette ever since “True Romance” (1993), I think it’s about time she receives recognition. In “Boyhood” she navigates the trials and tribulations of motherhood with raw and subtle expertise. She elevates the “ordinary to extraordinary.”

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon “Wild”

Sadly, “Still Alice” and “Two Days, One Night” haven't had wide theatrical release. So once again, hopefully, the veteran actor who never disappoints will take home the award. Portraying a professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, Julianne Moore's performance has been described as “shattering to behold.”

Best Director
Wes Anderson “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alejandro G. Inarritu “Birdman”
Richard Linklater “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller “Foxcatcher”
Morten Tyldum “The Imitation Game”

Because Richard Linklater came up with a truly unique concept in filmmaking, give the guy the statue. This coming-of-age film shot over the course of 12 years (in sequence) is “a love letter to the middle class.” He takes what is everyday life and elevates it to the most important journey that anyone and everyone takes.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke “Boyhood”
Edward Norton “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons “Whiplash”

Hands down, it's J.K. Simmons for the best performance of the year. His portrayal of the diabolical music instructor from hell is so deliciously vicious it hurts to watch. He’s another it's-about-time actor who's been at it for years, doing great stuff with little fanfare. You rock, J.K.

Best Actor
Steve Carell “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne “The Theory of Everything”

In keeping with great actors who finally merit recognition, Michael Keaton gets brilliant at life imitating art. Portraying a movie star attempting to reinvent himself later in life, he nails the desperation, which evolves into insanity with such exhilaration it deserves applause at every turn.

Best Picture
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

“American Sniper” because it demonstrates how good men and women have to dehumanize an enemy to protect our freedom. Chris Kyle earned the distinction of being the deadliest sniper in American history, but not without a huge cost. While his actions saved countless lives, he suffered dire consequences. Director Clint Eastwood does not glorify what any soldier does while serving his country but confronts us with the horrors of war. When a film generates such controversy, it deserves to be honored whether or not you agree with its premise.

IF YOU WATCH 
The 87th Academy Awards airs at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 on ABC.